Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida
Thursday, March 21st, 2019

Yamamoto Briefs UN Security Council on Afghanistan

March 13, 2019

KABUL - The UN Secretary General’s SpecialRepresentative for Afghanistan on Monday briefed the UN Security Council on situation and recent developments in Afghanistan.
During his speech to UN Security Council, Yamamoto informed regarding significant developments in the areas of peace and elections in the past three months, noting the ongoing talks between U.S. and Taliban in Qatar and the intra-Afghan dialogue in Moscow.
Emphasizing on Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process with the central role of Afghan government, Yamamoto said “Inclusiveness, coherence, and representativeness in negotiations are critical for success. We understand that the Government is consulting widely to forge the negotiating structure, including a negotiating team, which enables such inclusiveness with coherence. Establishment of such a negotiating team is critical to moving the process of peace further. Yesterday a presidential decree was issued for the holding of a Peace Consultative Jirga, a traditional assembly of leaders, in late April. We hope, that this will help create a national consensus on peace through an inclusive process.”
He also emphasized on joint and concentrated efforts on international community and regional players in support of Afghan-led and owned peace process and added that “The United Nations welcomes various efforts and initiatives undertaken by countries concerned, but stress the need for all those constructive efforts to be in concert and aligned in support of Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace efforts as agreed in Geneva last November. In this context, we understand that the Government of Afghanistan has proposed to hold the third meeting of the Kabul Process on Peace.”
The Secretary General’s Special Representative also emphasized that the legitimate and profound concerns of Afghan citizens should be considered in peace process, including concerns existing regarding the compromises on the gains made over the past 18 years,
“The United Nations shares many of these concerns, particularly regarding the fate of women’s rights, freedom of expression including media rights, and space for civil society to function effectively, all of which must be protected under a peace agreement,” he added.
In regards to presidential elections, Yamamoto said “The holding of the presidential election on schedule, however, will be very challenging. The widespread irregularities during last October’s parliamentary elections undermined confidence in the electoral management bodies.”
“With less than five months remaining until electionday, the technical and political challenges are daunting,” he said, adding that “The new commissioners will need to take urgent decisions on the implementation of the amended Election Law which provides for reforms, including the use of biometric technology and a change in the electoral system.”

In other parts of his speech, Yamamoto expressed concerns regarding growing civilian casualties and drugs production, adding that “This year is likely to bring both numerous challenges and unprecedented opportunities. Addressing the challenges, and taking advantage of the opportunities, will require the concerted efforts of the international community, with Afghanistan in the lead.” (KP)